Neutron Subcommittee Update

Neutron Subcommittee Update
BES Advisory Committee Meeting
July 11, 2019
Marc Kastner, Chair

Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee
BESAC Neutron Subcommittee
 Background of the study
 Charge and framing questions
 Study scope
 Subcommittee members
 Subcommittee activities
2
Neutron Subcommittee Charge
Background
 ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) was completed in 1965

 Designed for isotope production
 Equipped for neutron scattering – small-sample research
 Materials: irradiation and neutron activation analysis
 No high-performance research reactor commissioned in the U.S. since 1967
 INL’s Versatile Test Reactor (at CD-0) to address large engineering studies
 Academies report (2016): Reducing the Use of Highly Enriched Uranium in
Civilian Research Reactors – conversion to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel
 American Physical Society Panel on Public Affairs (APS POPA) report (2018):
Neutrons for the Nation – reduce proliferation risk while keeping neutrons
available for science and industry
 BESAC Neutron Subcommittee Charge (March 3, 2019):

 Assess the scientific justification for a domestic high-performance
reactor-based research facility
3
New BESAC Charge from Dr. Binkley (March 3, 2019)
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has maintained long-term stewardship of neutron
capabilities for the Nation. The combination of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) and the High
Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), under the auspices of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) in the Office of
Science, has provided the U.S. scientific community with leading neutron capabilities in support
of DOE's missions in science, energy, environment, and national security. With the planning
process for both the PPU and STS projects under way in 2019, I am writing to seek the input of
BESAC on the long-term strategy concerning HFIR, which complements SNS and is among the
highest-flux reactor-based sources in the world. With HFIR entering its 6th decade, its long-term
future requires careful thought and planning, especially in the context of the U.S. domestic high-
performance neutron research facilities.
This charge is also in part informed by the 2018 "Neutrons for the Nation" report, commissioned
by the American Physical Society's Panel on Public Affairs, which focuses on the competing
goals of reducing nuclear proliferation risk while maintaining intense controlled sources of
neutrons for vital scientific and industrial work. The report highlighted the continued need for the
U.S. to support its diversity of neutron R&D capabilities, as well as to initiate planning for a new
generation of high-performance research reactors.
4
New BESAC Charge from Dr. Binkley (March 3, 2019)
I am asking BESAC to form a subcommittee to assess the scientific justification for a U.S. domestic
high-performance reactor-based research facility, taking into account current international plans and
existing domestic facility infrastructure.
• What is the merit and significance of the science that could be addressed by a high performance,
steady-state reactor, and what is its importance in the overall context of research in materials
sciences and related disciplines?
• What are the capabilities of other domestic and international facilities, existing and planned, to
address the science opportunities afforded by such a domestic research reactor?
• What are the benefits to other fields of science and technology and to industry of establishing
such a capability in the U.S.? In particular, consider applications such as isotope production,
materials irradiation, neutron imaging, dark matter research, and neutron activation for trace element
analysis.
• What are the strengths and limitations of a steady-state research reactor compared to a pulsed
spallation neutron source for science, engineering, and technology?
• Are there feasible upgrade paths for HFIR to provide world-leading capabilities in serving the
Office of Science missions well into the future?
• Can Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) and High Assay LEU (HALEU) fuels (defined as<20%
enriched U-235) replace Highly Enriched Uranium fuels in research reactors while preserving the
needed characteristics of neutrons produced by steady-state reactors? What R&D would be needed
to support LEU and HALEU fuels development?
5
Framing Questions in Charge Letter
 Science case: Significance in overall context of research in relevant

disciplines
 Other facilities: Domestic and foreign, that could address the
science case
 Applications: Isotope production, materials irradiation, neutron
imaging, dark matter, neutron activation for trace element analysis
 Spallation sources: Strengths, limitations, capabilities relative to
research reactors
 HFIR upgrade paths: For world leadership in reactor-based sources
 Fuels development: Replacing Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) with
LEU and High Assay LEU (HALEU), for non-proliferation
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Scope of the Study
 Overall: Comprehensively cover the wide range of topics

 Expertise: Communities go beyond BESAC and BES. Reach out to:
 NP Isotope Program – isotope production
 Nuclear materials irradiation experts
 NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR)
 International experts and facilities
 Other advisory committees (ACs):
Nuclear Science (NSAC), Fusion Energy Science (FESAC),
Defense Programs (DPAC), Nuclear Energy (NEAC)
 Topics: Neutron scattering, soft condensed matter, structural

materials, theoretical physics, particle physics / neutrinos, fuels,
reactor technology and R&D, uranium fuel (LEU) conversion for
research reactors, fuel for isotope production
7
Subcommittee Members and Areas of Expertise
Robert Birgeneau, Chair UC Berkeley Neutron scattering

David Robertson, Vice Chair U Missouri, MURR reactor Isotope production
Marc Kastner, BESAC Chair SciPhil
Sue Clark BESAC/Pacific Northwest National Lab Environmental chemistry
Pengcheng Dai Rice Neutron scattering
Thomas Epps BESAC/U Delaware Neutron scattering, soft matter
Karsten Heeger Yale Neutrinos/particle physics
Bernhard Keimer MPI-Stuttgart (Germany), FRM-II reactor Neutron scattering
Despina Louca BESAC/U Virginia Neutron scattering
Pete Lyons Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee General nuclear energy topics
Allan MacDonald BESAC/UT Austin Theorist
Sean O'Kelly Idaho National Lab Reactor technology & R&D
Brad Olsen MIT Soft materials
Julia Phillips Sandia National Labs (retired) POPA study chair
Anthony Rollett BESAC/Carnegie Mellon structural materials; NNSA DPSC connection
Kate Ross Colorado State Neutron scattering
Michael Rowe NIST Center for Neutron Research (retired) Neutron scattering
John Stevens Argonne National Lab LEU Conversion
William Stirling Institut Laue-Langevin (France) Reactor technology & R&D
Brian Wirth FESAC/U Tennessee - Knoxville Materials under irradiation
8
Subcommittee Activities
 Report is due July 31, 2020

 Kickoff meeting (Berkeley, August 19-20): Talks on Isotope Program,
POPA report, Academies report, HFIR, SNS, European neutron
sources (ILL Grenoble, FRM-II Munich, etc.), NIST NCNR, INL
Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) and VTR – facility-oriented meeting
 Workshop (D.C. area, November 2019): Research-oriented meeting,
main focus on the science needs for a next-generation reactor;
include talk on national security from NA-20 (DOE NNSA Office of
Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation)
 Site visits: ORNL (HFIR, SNS), other DOE labs (including INL),
NIST NCNR (in conjunction with Nov. 2019 workshop), optional visits
to international facilities (ILL, FRM-II, BR2 Belgium, …)

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BES Advisory Committee Meeting

July 11, 2019

Marc Kastner, Chair

 Background of the study

 Charge and framing questions

 ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) was completed in 1965

 BESAC Neutron Subcommittee Charge (March 3, 2019):

 Science case: Significance in overall context of research in relevant

 Overall: Comprehensively cover the wide range of topics

 Topics: Neutron scattering, soft condensed matter, structural

Robert Birgeneau, Chair UC Berkeley Neutron scattering

 Report is due July 31, 2020

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